The field of invention is devices which will allow for the engagement and recovery of pipelines which are laid on the ocean floor and need to be recovered to the surface.
A particular difficulty has been seen in the ability to recover damaged or leaking pipelines in deepwater due to the difficulty of gripping the pipeline once it has been cut for recovery. Difficulty in accessing the end of a cut pipeline and limited visibility have suggested the advantages of having a device which could simply be dropped onto the pipeline from the side to automatically latch onto the pipe.
Devices have existed in diver depths of water which allow the manual make-up of bolts utilizing the dexterity of the divers. As the search for oil and gas has gone into progressively deeper water, a need was seen for strong clamping devices which operate automatically or by remote control.